Familiar plot to high school playoffs

SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE / JOHN LOVE
The St. Bernard's student cheering section, known as the Dawg Pound, was out in force for Thursday's Central Mass. Division 2 boys' basketball quarterfinal victory over Bartlett. Some things never change.

If you're experiencing a bit of déjà vu during these high school playoffs, don't be alarmed. You're not the only one.

We're down to the best of the best in the semifinals of the Central Mass. Division 2 boys' and girls' basketball tournaments, and so far the action has followed an eerily familiar path, leaving the St. Bernard's boys in search of a repeat, with several other local squads looking to rewrite history.

First up is Sunday's boys' semifinal round at WPI in Worcester. Second-seeded St. Bernard's will square off against No. 3 Northbridge at 1 p.m., before No. 13 Gardner faces the daunting task of toppling No. 1 Clinton at 3 p.m.

On Monday it's the girls' turn, as No. 2 Nashoba Regional and No.

SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE / JOHN LOVE
St. Bernard's head coach Kate Maki looks on during Friday's playoff win over Northbridge in Fitchburg.

3 Auburn meet at 6 p.m. at Clark University in Worcester, immediately followed by No. 4 St. Bernard's against top-seeded and unbeaten Tyngsboro at 7:30 p.m.

Great games, all. But why does it feel like we've been here before?

Let's take a look at the four local squads fighting to advance to a district championship.

Gardner boys: There's no denying the Wildcats are kings of the underdogs. One year removed from staging a stunning first-round upset as the lowest seed in Division 2, Gardner did it again.

In 2012, the 9-9 Wildcats, seeded 15th, shocked No. 2 Northbridge, 61-52, in the opening round, then fell to No. 10 St. Bernard's -- also fresh off an upset victory -- by a 60-58 score in a classic battle.

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This time around, Gardner (10-12) had already beaten the odds when the MIAA reversed a school-wide postseason ban. Sneaking in as the 13th seed with an 8-12 regular-season record, the Wildcats again proved that they come to play in the tournament, knocking off No. 4 Oxford in the opening round.

Once again, Gardner squared off with another underdog in the quarterfinals, this time defeating No. 12 Blackstone-Millville in a 56-54 thriller.

The Wildcats might still get their shot at revenge against the Bernardians, but it will take a staggering effort against a 19-2 Clinton team in Sunday's semifinal.

St. Bernard's boys: Stop me if you've heard this one. Head coach Mark Pierce has the Bernardians playing like champions in the postseason, led by the efforts of a 1,000-point scorer named John.

Two years after John Henault shattered the school's all-time scoring record, finishing with 1,682 points, it's senior John Crawley leading the way for another playoff run. Crawley topped the 1,000-point plateau in Thursday's 75-66 win over Bartlett in the D2 quarterfinals.

The Bernardians (17-4) are the defending champions after last year's improbable run, during which the 10 seed ran the table, eventually knocking off Quabbin, 59-56, in the title game. Standing between St. Bernard's and a return trip to the final is a No. 3 Northbridge squad undoubtedly still smarting over last year's early exit at the hands of the Wildcats.

Nashoba girls: In 2012, the Chieftains entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed with an 18-2 record and cruised into the district final before falling to No. 1 Tyngsboro, 40-33. This year, an 18-2 regular-season record again earned Nashoba a No. 2 seed. Riding high after Friday's 50-18 quarterfinal drubbing of Millbury, the Chieftains appear poised for another deep run.

If Nashoba (19-2) can knock off No. 3 Auburn on Monday, it will be back in the championship -- potentially a rematch with Tyngsboro, depending on the outcome of Monday's other semifinal.

St. Bernard's girls: Watching the boys' team celebrate last year's district championship must have been a bittersweet moment for the St. B's girls, who reached the semifinals in 2012 before falling 43-31 to top-seeded Tyngsboro.

The Bernardians (17-4) worked hard all season to reach this contest, and they will have their shot at revenge against the No. 1 Tigers on Monday. Despite playing without senior captain Amanda Hogan, who was lost for the year after suffering a Senior Night ACL injury, Tyngsboro is still a force to be reckoned with.

Both programs pride themselves on team defense, and both break the will of opponents with incredible speed up and down the court.

Are the Bernardians doomed to relive their disappointment from a year ago, or will they find a way to rewrite the ending this time around?

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